Fire-escape.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

J. SPUGK.

FIRE ESGAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1902.

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no MODEL.

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PATENTED MAY-126, 190s. LSPUGK. FIRE ESCAPE.

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APPLICATION FILED SrBPT. 9. 1902.

7H5 NOFMS PETEiS CO, PHOTGUTHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C.

N0 MODEL.

Iatented May 26, 1903.

' PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SPUCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FI RE-ESCA PE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent 0. 729,437, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed September 9, 1902. Serial No. 122,693. (No model.) 4 I To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, JOHN SPUOIQof the city: of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented means of a ladder or a series of steps which is held up from the ground when not in use.

My invention consists in a peculiar arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described and claimed and which will. be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, in which I Figure 1 is a side view of a-fire-escape embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the automatic trigger-bar employed by me in releasing the ladder or steps of my fire-escape when itis desired to form connection with the ground. Fig. 3 is afront view, of my invention when the steps or ladder is in connection with the ground. Fig. 4 is a top View of the same. Fig. 5 is aview of the latch by which the steps or ladder used in my invention is caught and held in contact with the ground while in use. p I

The essence of my invention consists in providing an improved self-contained weight and adjacent parts for use in counterbalancing the weight of a ladderor flight of steps used in forming a connection between the.-

lowest platform of a stationary fire -escape' and theground and suspending-thesarne in:

such manner that the weight and movement of a person desiring to use the same will be sufficient to cause its automatic deflection.

In the form shown in the drawings a pair of compound trusses 1 form the sides of the ladder or flight of steps 2, the member 3 serving' asa hand-rail, the member4 as the lower support of the hand-rail, the member 5 as the upper support of the hand-rail, and the member 6 as the foundation member of the ladder or flight of steps. The member 6 forms throughout the upper portionof its length a Thebase member 7. acts as a brace for the horizontal connecting member 8 and extends from the free end of the latter in a diagonal direction to a point about midway of the length of the step member 6. The outer side of the platform to which the ladder or flight of steps is pivoted is provided with the platform 11 and the frame 12, and the side from which the ladder or flight of steps leads is provided with the frame 18. A chain 14: is fastened at the bottom of the platform 11 by means of the hook 15 and is attached to the inner end of the lattice-truss bymeans of the hook 1 o.

When not in use, the trussed structure is held horizontally, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Further upward movement of the ladder or flight of steps is "prevented by the chain 14, which'is then taut. In order to prevent the ladder or flight of steps from being lowered from without the building and platform to'which the fire-escape is attached, I have provided the trigger 17 ,which is pivoted-in the bearing1 8, which'bearing is attached to the lower member of the framework 12, the trigger 17 being provided with an inwardly-extending arm at its upper extremity, as shown in Fig. 2, andbeing connected by the hinged rod 19 with the bar 20, which is pivoted in bearings 21 and 22 upon the outer vertical member of the framework 13 in such manner that when the ladder or flight of steps is not in use the upper and horizontal portion of the barv 20. islplaced across the ladder or fire-escape, and the trigger 17 by means of its pivoted connection with the rod or bar 20 extends across the top of the truss member 8, thus serving to hold the ladder or flight of steps in horizontal position.

When it is desired to use the fire-escape, the body of the person seeking egress presses upon the transverse portion of the bar 20, thus releasing the trigger 17, and the weight of the person who then steps upon the upper rung or step causes the structure to deflect and form contact with the ground.

In order that the ladder or flight of steps when deflected may be held in position, the latch 23 is provided,'which catches the truss member 8 as it ascends and holds'it in position. It will thus be seen that the operation of my fire-escape is practically automatic and requires nothing beyond the movement of the person desiring to use it to put it in position and provide means of escape.

In my structure the counterbalancingweight 10 is self-contained between the inwardly-projecting ends of the parallel horizontal members 8, which form a part of the step structure and are hinged thereto, as before specified. Said weight 10 is preferably in cylindrical form, as shown, and extends con tinuously in a horizontal direction from one of said horizontal members 8 to the other, so that an equal amount of weight is applied to each of said horizontal members. By such construction I avoid the undue strain of placing all of the counterbalancing-weight upon one side of the steps or ladder, as has heretofore been done. The weight of the counterbalancingweight is such as to overcome the weight of the arm of the step structure, which is beyond the point of pivotal connection between the platform and the step structure, and there is therefore practically no strain upon the conmeeting-chain 14. when the step structure is in horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, sothat even if the connecting-chain 14 were to become rusted it would not affect the operation of the step structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is-

The improved ladder connection for plat form fire-escapes, comprising a platform, a ladder pivotally connected thereto and provided with two parallel connecting members 8 extending beneath said platform, and a special counterbalancirig-weight 1O fixed between said horizontal members 8 and extending in a horizontal direction continuously from the free end of one of said members to the free end of the other horizontal member, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN SPUCK.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EICKS, JOHN C. HIGDON. 

